


Breach of Contract

by eyemeohmy



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Alternate Reality, Gen, Mild Gore, Violence, collective DJD's bad humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-14
Updated: 2014-01-14
Packaged: 2018-01-08 18:44:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1136123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyemeohmy/pseuds/eyemeohmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day before Pharma is about to unleash the Red Rust, he delivers what he believes to be the last supply of t-cogs to Tarn. He gets Kaon instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breach of Contract

**Author's Note:**

> Gift for gentlemech because I failed at the Overlord one. Inspired by [this drawing of hers](http://gentlemech.tumblr.com/post/67294858577/small-thing-for-cataradical). No slash, and it’s kind of loosely inspired. I wanted to write robot gore galore. In the end, I only wrote just a pinch. I’m immensely disappointed in myself, but I’ve worked too hard on this to just scrap it. So, whatever, here it is.
> 
> Please excuse any spelling/grammatical errors you may find.

Pharma had been working at Delphi for years.

He had grown accustomed to the cold, biting chill of the snow and its often powerful, overwhelming storms. Deep space, after all, was much more frigid. And though he hadn't given it much thought before, Pharma remembered a comment one of his severely injured patients made, upon telling him that he'd have to wait in the freezing depths of the caved-in mine a little longer before rescue could arrive: "I'd rather be cold from the ice than cold in my grave."

Pharma hadn't given it much thought then. But as he trekked through miles of snow, unable to fly in this horrible weather, he began to think maybe the miner was right.

Better to suffer to survive and succeed, than to wilt and wither and fall.

And that's what Pharma was doing. _Suffering_. Suffering for the sake of his patients; suffering for the sake of his employees; suffering for the sake of his clinic. He had forced down his pride so many times, and though it felt like swallowing a handful of needles and pins, Pharma knew, in the long run, he'd figure something out, and all this misery would make sense in the end. He was a genius, and that did not only apply to his medical skills.

This was... not the original plan. None of this was. Pharma thought he'd walk out of this with his head held high. He would emerge from this wreckage, yes, but with little pride intact. Still, it was better than nothing, and if he wanted to save more than his reputation, it would only be logical sacrifices must be made.

Even if they are at the cost of dozens of lives.

There was a part of Pharma that told him in a quiet, mousy voice that this plan was not so much flawless, genius as he liked to believe, but madness. Desperation. The last resort. Pharma chose to ignore it; he did what he had to do, and if he had to break the morals and beliefs he so long stood by, he'd do it in a heartbeat. Because in the long run, it was for the best.

It really, really was.

(Right?)

Pharma huffed as he made his way up one steep heel, minding the slick ice. The thick bag of t-cogs--these would be the last, no more after this, no more, this ended tonight--bounced as it was dragged along the ground. Once up top, Pharma tossed it aside, taking a moment to rub his sore wrist and work out a kink in his neck.

A few minutes passed. Pharma checked the area, scanned it for any life.

A second before Pharma could release his annoyed sigh at his "client's" tardiness, a voice suddenly cut through the frigid air, spoken in a soft hiss. Three words, and it wasn't the wind rushing past his audiols that kept him from understanding. Pharma had heard these words before, and yet...

Primal Vernacular?

"Or, for your sake: 'good evening, doctor.'"

Pharma blinked, wiping the thin film of ice from his optics. A figure emerged from the other side of the designated gathering mound, only it was... significantly smaller and thinner than Tarn. The shadows and snow parted, and Pharma found himself looking upon a mech he had never seen before.

But Pharma knew who he was - or _what_ he was.

The Decepticon's sockets were void of any visible optics, and there was an oily smile on his pale face. "Excuse me," he said, hands spread, "I just came back from a lesson." He chuckled softly, fingers lightly stroking his throat and beneath his chin. "I really need to _stress_ the _vowels_ more. Otherwise it just sounds silly."

Pharma narrowed his optics. "Who are--"

"Nono," the Decepticon chuckled, raising a hand. "Allow me to introduce myself _myself_." He smirked, and swept another hand with a semi-grandiose swing to the generator on his chest. "I am Kaon of the Decepticon Justice Division. Communication's officer and electri ch _air_ \- extraordin _aire_." He giggled.

Pharma just now noticed every flake of snow that fell on the Decepticon's shoulder-mounted coils instantly melted, releasing tiny tendrils of steam. Even the ice beneath his feet was liquefying, and the medic could feel a very powerful charge from where he stood ten feet away.

"Where is Tarn?" Pharma asked. He was in no mood for chit-chat.

"This is the first time we've met. I've been _dying_ to see you in the armor. And yet," Kaon's expression actually pulled off something akin to hurt without those optics (assuming he had any), "you ask about _Tarn_?"

Pharma sighed. "I... don't mean disrespect." Those words came hard. "But I just need--"

"Did you test on any of them?"

Pharma blinked. "... Pardon?"

Kaon stroked his chin, then pointed to the sack. "Did you test your little virus on any of those t-cogs?" He tilted his helm at the look of shock on Pharma's face; though it lasted only a split second, he was too late to hide it. "You have to run test trials, I assume, to make sure the formula has been perfected."

Pharma grit his teeth. "I don't know what you're--"

"Maybe," Kaon said, voice rising only to lower to its soft, wispy timber again, "it is the wind that is causing your audiols to malfunction. Did I not tell you who I was? Kaon, officer of the Decepticon Justice Division, _communication's specialist._ " He smirked at the mechanical flinch from the Autobot. "I hear and pick up a lot of things most mechs do not. For the loss of one sense," he chuckled, gesturing to his sockets, "I made up particularly well in another, you could say."

Pharma remained tall, standing rigid, face stony. "What do you want?" he demanded, voice level.

Kaon chortled. "That comes later," he said, and the medic cocked an optic ridge. "But, seriously, doctor-- Did you think Tarn wouldn't take any sort of precautions? You Autobots can't be trusted." He patronizingly wagged an accusing finger. Pharma wanted to rip both his hands off. Kaon went quiet, still, but then burst into another giggle. "No, no, I'm kidding. This is purely for my own sake!"

Pharma took a step back when the Decepticon leaned forward, finger to his chin. "I was curious about you, doctor. I wanted to see the sad, sad little Autobot all caught up in Tarn's web. I wanted to see your eventual downfall. So I liste~ened." He held a cupped hand to his audiol, lips pursed. "You lasted remarkably well and for so long--unlike most of the others."

Pharma's optics widened. "'Others'?"

Kaon snorted. "You think you're the only sorry scraplet that Tarn has wrapped around his finger?" He smirked, hands behind his back. "Well, I suppose there was no need for Tarn to tell you _that_. But you know what that means, right?" A darker grin split his face this time. "You're expendable."

"No," Pharma growled, "we had a deal--"

"A deal only lasts if both sides keep up their ends of the bargain." Kaon snapped his fingers, releasing a spark of electricity. "I'd say engineering a virus to wipe out your clinic, hide any of your evidence dealing with Tarn, and save your skidplate sounds like a breach in your contract. Thus, the deal is rendered null."

Pharma swallowed. "You... It's not what you think."

Kaon suddenly burst into laughter. "'Not what I--'? Sigma, doctor!" He came down from his cackling, trailing into hissing chuckling. "You really belittle my intelligence _that_ much? I know you hate Decepticons--find us infinitely inferior to you noble Autobots--but you think me _that_ dumb? That I'm just some violent, imbecilic thug?" Those once playful snickers turned into something deep, rising from the pit of his generator. "You shouldn't make fun of the person that holds your life in his hands."

"You can't kill me!" Pharma snapped. "I don't care _what you_ think, or what you think I'm doing with this virus-- I speak and deal _only_ with Tarn!"

"Doctor!" Kaon spat, and the medic winced. "I don't think you quite get it, do you? Your pride and so-called 'safety' in this deal is blinding you to the reality. I am a _Decepticon_. You are an _Autobot_. I am not entitled to do you any favors, or treat you like the friend of a good friend. You know this line of thinking very well. But this entire time, I have been _perfectly_ civil with you, and yet you choose to ignore and insult me, pretend as if I've got some sort of _pact_ ," and the word spit with sparks from his lips, "with you." He stood upright again, relaxing once more. "Tarn, however, _is_ the aforementioned good friend. And I'd hate to see him hurt, knowing how you're going to betray him."

Pharma struggled for words. This Decepticon had him pinned.

"As I said, you're expendable, doctor," Kaon snickered. "So, to put this simply, and more in terms of business." Kaon cleared his vocalizer, jut out his chin. "Tarn will no longer be requiring your services. Consider your deal terminated as of right now."

"You can't speak for him," Pharma snarled. "He didn't--"

"No, you're right, he didn't," Kaon huffed, disappointed. "He doesn't even know I'm confronting you right now, actually. Haven't told him about your horrible little plan, either. But it's for his own good, you know? Just like releasing a plague on your own clinic, right right?" He giggled.

Pharma remained quiet. His fingers closed into tight fists at his sides. "I want to speak to Tarn," he said in a clear, serious tone. "Let me speak to Tarn."

"Irrelevant. No need. Unnecessary," Kaon countered, simply. "Anyway!" He puffed out his chest in a deep exvent. "I know you and I--we're alike, you know. At least in the fact we prefer action over words. We speak better, louder volumes with our hands rather than our voices." He raised his hands in demonstration, and thick curls of electricity poured in rings from off his fingers. "I've cut the cord tethering you to safety. Now it's time to clean up the mess."

Pharma growled. He stepped back, assuming a defense position. His shoulder mounted gun (only one, he still had to recharge the second) flipped into action, and he quickly popped a spare from an arm compartment.

Kaon's sockets widened, a hand flying to his face in disbelief. "Oh... Oh, oh really? _Really_!?" He sounded extremely amused, utterly amazed, his voice broken in pearls of delightful giggles. "That's cute! That's _so cute_!"

Pharma went to fire both guns, but Kaon quickly snapped his hand forward, releasing a whip of lightning. It easily cut through one blast, striking the weapon from Pharma's hand. The medic winced, stumbled a foot; he shook his wrist as little remnants of electricity pinched at circuit nerves in his fingers. Steam rose from the ground from the gash left behind.

"Try it again, doctor," Kaon smirked, grin lopsided and wicked. He spread his arms, palms up, showing the energy growing in the conduit windows on his palms. His generator whirred, and more licks of electricity bounced off his coils. "Come on, come on. I knew you wouldn't go down easily, so don't you _dare_ disappoint me."

Kaon released another torrent of electricity; Pharma managed to dodge this time. Kaon laughed. "Good, good!" He threw another and another, each time the medic moving at the nick of time. "I knew medics had some experience in defense training! But if all you're going to do is skip and prance around," he paused, stomped a foot into the snow; electricity ripped and tore through the earth, charging right for Pharma, "then we might as well just end this game right now."

Pharma growled. He dodged again, but the ground yawned open just before he could move his heel. He fell back, nearly into the pit, but his thrusters fired up, pushing him back upright. He whipped around, meeting Kaon's blast with a shot from his gun. They hit halfway, canceling each other out.

"How are your short range battle skills, doctor?" Kaon asked. He was running at Pharma now, sending more and more volts of electricity pumping into the ground. "Because you're going to need more than a gun to put me down!"

Pharma ignored his scattered navigation systems, transformed into a jet and took flight. No. He did not have to put up with this. His deal was with Tarn, not--

"Oh, don't you dare!"

Pharma's chassis was suddenly tangled in two power lines. A _vzzt_ and electricity flooded through his frame, promptly electrocuting him. He remained in the air, seizing, before the flow stopped and Kaon forcefully yanked him back to the ground. Pharma crashed, nosecone first, shattering the rest of his cockpit that the electric shock hadn't already.

Transforming was painful, but Pharma forced himself to. Electric sparks danced off his body, smears of soot and smoke along his wings, down his back. He coughed, spitting up hot, congealed coolant, his frame shaking. The moment he heard those heavy, hot footfalls approaching, he forced down his pain, twisted aside, aimed his gun, fired--

"Eeheheheeh," Kaon snickered. Pharma's dim optics widened as his gun spit out only smoke and a low whir. "Well, what did you expect?" Kaon mused, shrugging. "Full body electrocution will do that. And I was being very gentle with you, doctor~" his voice turned smooth, matching the mock leer on his face.

Pharma cursed. He pushed himself upright; his CPU spun, but-- He looked to his fallen gun, lying only a few feet away. Sprinted into action. Kaon's electric blast missed as the Autobot dove into the snow, managing to just barely grab his gun and roll into a sit. Aimed it point blank at Kaon's forehead, pulled the trigger once, twice, three times.

Kaon remained perfectly still. Flippantly raised his hands and used a shield of electricity to destroy the blasts. However, one managed to break through, hitting him square in the shoulder. The conduit glass broke into a cobweb of cracks, and the Decepticon growled as he stumbled back, arms dropping to his sides.

Pharma, however, kept firing. The fourth shot grazed Kaon's hip; the fifth missing, and the sixth-- Pharma widened his optics. Looked down at his gun. Kept tugging on the trigger, but... nothing. He shook it, smacked it, but it still wouldn't--

"Out of ammo, doctor?"

Pharma slowly looked up. Kaon was only five feet away now. Still stood from his slouch, still grinning, a hand touching the broken glass on his shoulder. "But, hmm," he hummed, and the coil of his wounded shoulder spit up electricity, "it seems _I've_ still got some juice." He turned that blank gaze back on Pharma. "Would you like to see what I can _really_ do, doctor?"

Pharma growled. No, this wasn't it. This _wasn't_ how it was going to end. He pushed himself back to his feet, swayed. Tossed the gun aside... and raised his fists.

Kaon's mouth formed a perfect little 'o.' "Oh! Fisticuffs, then?" he chortled. He slid a leg back, getting into position; swept a thumb under his nose before raising his fists as well. "I must warn you, I've taken a few lessons on self-defense and crystalocution. But you're bigger than me, Pharma, so try to go a little easy, hmm?"

The Decepticon was the first to lunge. Pharma used his arm to shield the blow, swung back. Kaon jerked his head aside, dodged. Thrust a fist out to uppercut Pharma; the medic oomphed, stumbled, but quickly jumped back into action. His fist met Kaon's right arm, then his left, and taking a moment to calculate, he finally managed to land a blow during one of Kaon's punches, finally shattering the glass on his shoulder.

Kaon decked him across the face; before Pharma could recover, the Decepticon punched him square in the abdomen. Just as the fist made impact, it released a burst of electricity. Pharma shrieked from the shock, instantly falling over.

"I don't think we specified any rules against using weapons. I figured we weren't suppose to, but," Kaon snickered, flexing his fingers before curling them into fists, "I'm a Decepticon. Filthy, dirty cheater."

With a growl, Kaon slammed his fist down, managing to graze Pharma's wing just as he rolled away. Pharma could feel a burning heat throb across his good wing, now busted and bent from the roll. He knew flying was now completely out of the question, but... Bigger fish to fry. Had to _survive_ if he wanted to escape, after all.

Pharma kicked out his leg, hitting the edge of Kaon's generator. The Decepticon fell back; grunting, he threw himself forward, elbow raised. Pharma managed to grab his arm, stop the blow; as he went to force the limb behind Kaon's back, the Decepticon's free hand took his, easily twisting his wrist.

The Autobot once more swallowed his pain, his own fist landing in the small of Kaon's back. Kaon wrenched his arm free, found the doctor's hips, and, with a loud snarl, flipped him over his head and onto the ground.

Pharma's head was swimming. He was seeing double. And as he went to sit up, resume fighting no matter what injuries he sustained, Kaon's foot was suddenly pinning him down at the throat. Pharma winced, grabbing at the boot, trying to pry and yank it off.

"Not bad, not bad," Kaon chuckled, rubbing his back. "Felt that last one. Deep in my backstrut. Might need to see a doctor about tha-- Oh, hey! Whatta know? Got one right in front of me."

Pharma sputtered something angry at him, his optics burning blue again.

Kaon pursed his lips. "Figured an Autobot medic would turn a Decepticon patient away." Without another word, he swiftly kicked Pharma across the face with his free foot. "That's really rude, doctor. Doesn't it go against your oath?" He calmly swung his heel back, nearly dislocating Pharma's jaw as his head snapped aside. "You're suppose to help those in need. The wounded and the weak. You're suppose to be a saint like that, you know?"

Kaon slipped the tip of his boot under Pharma's chin, forcing his head back. Pharma was breathing heavily; there was a strained noise sputtering from his engine. One optic was shattered, bleeding energon and torn circuits from shards of glass. His cheeks were dented, torn, some of his teeth surely missing.

And that seldom, curious look on Kaon's face turned into a mischievous grin. "Or maybe," he giggled, "you just don't take my insurance?" His foot swung back, kicked Pharma beneath the chin. Pharma's entire body jolted, neck snapping; though it was not a fatal blow, nor one that Pharma could not survive, it did rip open a few fuel lines, releasing spurts of energon and oil. It was a calculated blow; one Kaon knew would keep the good doctor conscious a little longer to play.

Kaon stepped back, rubbed his neck and back, picked a few shards of glass from the busted conduit; all the while Pharma laid there, weak, panting, aching from head to foot. Finally, after clearing his vocalizer, Kaon lowered to a squat beside the Autobot, relaxed his arms across his pointed knees.

"You know, _I've_ got to be the one who breaks the news to Tarn. That you were going to turn on him; that I had to kill you as punishment. So you see..." He reached down, running a hand from Pharma's temple to his cheek, resting it there. Pharma stared up at him, a blur of frightening colors. He managed to see that feigned look of sadness on the Decepticon's face. "This hurts me more than it hurts you." He gave two hard, condescending slap-pats to the doctor's cheek, smile returning. "So, let's put you out of your--"

If Pharma's head wasn't spinning, he'd think it very strange that he noticed the giant, looming figure before Kaon did. He had sensed that energy, even though all of his sensors ached or had fallen off line. He felt Tarn before he saw him, and Kaon seemed none the wiser. Not to Tarn's energy, not to the fact the massive leader of the DJD was stepping right up behind him.

"I am so disappointed."

Kaon's sockets widened and he fell onto a knee, turning back to look up at Tarn. Fear replaced that smug arrogance radiating from the smaller Decepticon's field. "T-Tarn?" he muttered, genuinely surprised.

Tarn stared down at him. "I didn't want to believe Vos when he said..." He sighed, shook his head. "Kaon, how could you? Especially to go behind my back?" He tsked.

"Tarn-- Sir-- It's--"

" _It is over when I say it is over_ ," Tarn interjected, and Kaon fell forward with a gasp, clutching at his burning spark. Cold red optics turned on Pharma staring back at him. "I still have use of Pharma's services." That horrible gaze fell back onto Kaon as he recuperated, inventing heavily. "One could say this is an invasion of privacy. One could say it's an act of _treason._ And you know what we do with traitors."

Kaon whimpered, curling into himself, fingers digging into the metal around his generator. It hurt it hurt it hurt and Pharma watched it all, unmoving, listening.

"Nosy, nosy little Kaon. I thought we were friends?"

Kaon grunted when a large hand casually wrapped around his throat, fingers tightening into a painful squeeze. He fell limp as Tarn lifted him easily from off the ground, letting his feet dangle. The DJD leader kept his comrade out at arm's length, optics narrowed. "But this won't do, it simply won't do," he grumbled. His grip tightened, and Kaon keened. "I'm afraid you'll need to be punished for this, Kaon."

"T-Tarn, n--"

Pharma didn't know why, but he felt... he felt... felt...

Why was Kaon smiling?

And now... now he was chuckling. Grinning and chuckling and--

"Your doctor is really cute, Tarn!" Kaon cackled, playfully swinging his feet back and forth in the air. Tarn lowered him back to the ground. Kaon looked down at the shocked, confused Autobot. "How was it? I'm no actor, but Tarn--he's the theatrical one." He quickly turned back to his leader, beaming hopefully. "What did you think, Tarn? Did I do good?"

"Perfect," Tarn smirked beneath his mask. He raised his hands, politely clapping. "Bravo."

"You were terrific as well, but that goes without saying."

Pharma was reeling. What had just--

Pharma gasped as he was suddenly kicked over onto his belly. His fingers slid through snow, attempting to push him up-- The Autobot grunted, Kaon taking his face in his hands, jerking his head out of the ice. He winced, teeth grit, glaring hatefully at the eyeless bastard's face.

But... No. No, that wasn't quite true. Because up close, this close, Pharma could see... He could see very tiny pinpricks of red in the sunken optics. Staring at him with such bright amusement and pure insanity.

"I had a theory, and so I asked Tarn if we could test it out," Kaon explained, kneeling there. Tarn stood quietly at Pharma's feet. "You see, Pharma, when Tarn stopped me, when it seemed he was going to kill me, and it seemed like you were going to survive after all, you felt... hope. Didn't you?"

Pharma grunted. "Y.. You..."

"For that moment in time, you were hopeful. You were _happy_ Tarn had come to save you. _Happy_ he was going to protect you." Kaon's grin widened. "You thought you were _safe_ , didn't you? Even after all of this, even though you _know_ who and what sort of person Tarn is, when you thought he was going to stop me from killing you, you felt so ridiculously _safe_."

There came a loud pang from Pharma's spark. He... No. No no no. Kaon was wrong, he was wrong. He hadn't felt... he hadn't felt... felt...

"Your arrogance is astounding, Pharma. But it is one thing I have always liked about you."

Pharma shuddered.

Kaon lifted Pharma's face closer, close enough that their lips almost brushed. "How does it feel, doctor?" he whispered, smoothly. "To know you've never had control of _anything_? Not even from the start."

Pharma swallowed. "You... You're... wr... wrong..."

Kaon laughed and smacked Pharma's cheeks. "There you go again! Belittling my intelligence! And by proxy, Tarn's, too!"

"You think a virus would have washed away all your problems, did you?" Tarn mused. "Think you could even get out of this mess with your reputation remaining pristine." His optics narrowed. "How very _pathetic_ , Pharma."

"Say no more, doctor," Kaon cooed, forcing two fingers into the medic's mouth. He clipped the tongue between his teeth, straining his jaw wide. "Your tongue is your only remaining line of defense now. The one weapon I've yet to disable. And believe me, you don't need an intact vocalizer to make wonderful noises for us."

Kaon pinched the tongue between his scissor fingers, two bolts of electricity rushing down Pharma's throat, burning the lining, and promptly damaging his vocalizer. He released a pained, angry hiss of air, followed by a snarl. Coolant and energon instantly flooded his throat, working past Kaon's fingers to pour down his face. He hacked as Kaon moved in a little deeper; sent another volt through his vocalizer.

"Just in case."

Pharma continued coughing up fluids, spitting large half-congealed globs on Kaon's chest and generator. Kaon slowly removed his fingers, taking Pharma's tongue with him before letting it snap back into place. Pharma heaved, coolant and energon dripping in thick tendrils from his gaping mouth. Kaon shook his fingers clean, splattering the medic's face with his own mess.

"They say you're the best surgeon the Autobots have to offer. Second only to one; an old friend of yours, in fact. You were the twinkle in your academy's eye. Praised by all. A truly awe-inspiring figure to everyone, not just doctors," Kaon hummed. His fingers swept along Pharma's dirtied cheeks and helm, smearing in more energon. "Now look at you."

Pharma glared, even around his pathetic coughing and vomiting.

Kaon turned his big smile up at Tarn. "Even on the verge of death, he's still so smarmy and proud!" he giggled.

"I told you he was fun," Tarn smirked. He reached down, fingers idly brushing one bent, broken wing. "But if only you had been a little more obedient, Pharma..."

Kaon's thumb fingered the socket of Pharma's broken optic. Prodded and poked until coolant began to drip. Pharma cursed internally at the fact his intact optic was bleeding, too. "Oooh, don't cry," the Decepticon teased in a friendly murmur. He wiped a few of the coolant tears away with the back of a finger. "Don't you believe in the afterlife, doctor? I'm sure they'll let you in. You're the Mighty Pharma, after all. How could Primus reject someone as valuable and amazing as you?"

Pharma choked on the warm energon bubbling in his throat as Tarn suddenly bent forward, taking his hips in his hands. "But, doctor," he whispered, his lips right next to his audiol, "in the afterlife, there is no pain. There are no injuries, no wounds to fix, diseases or ailments to cure. There is no need for a physician. What ever will you do?"

"Funny," Kaon snickered. One hand traced down Pharma's neck, down to his shattered cockpit. "You're not needed there, as you're not needed here."

Pharma sputtered on static and white noise. He weakly mouthed the words he could not speak.

The edges of Kaon's smile curled, and he looked so warm and friendly. "I'll see you there, doctor," he said. His fingers thrust into damaged dermal plating, and harsh volts of electricity were sent plunging into his spark. Pharma screamed, the same energy bursting from his mouth, from his eye socket; his second optic glass broke, releasing another powerful bolt of electricity.

"Shh, shh, Pharma," Tarn hummed, holding the seizing medic down, "it feels like you're dying, doesn't it? It feels like this is the end. But you know as well as I that we, as a race, are so _very_ hard to kill."

Kaon drew his hand away; the flow stopped, and Pharma collapsed in a puddle of his own fluids and shards of his plating. "See you on the other side, doctor," he purred, and Pharma was finding it impossible to stay conscious. That smile began to blur and dim; before he passed out, he heard Kaon say one last thing:

"You'll find it looks a lot like the inside of the _Peaceful Tyranny_."


End file.
